An official ceremony of granting the tomos took place today in St. George’s Cathedral in Istanbul, which is the residence of the Patriarch of Constantinople.
The tomos means that the Ecumenical Patriarchate recognizes a canonical, autocephalous, self-governing Orthodox Church within the limits of the politically formed territory of Ukraine.
According to the Ecumenical Patriarch, this is the official recognition of the Church of Ukraine, which brings it up to the level of fourteen sister churches that make up the “fullness” of the Holy Orthodox Church.
Ukrainian people have been waiting for this blessed day for seven centuries!
What a Merry Christmas we all have this year!